Congregation
by Evnissyn
Summary: [Poem] There are many kinds of people who attend a church service: the curious agnostic, the jaded Christian–turned–atheist, and the true believers in Christianity.


A/N: I am agnostic. I was raised agnostic. This means that I cannot vouch for the truth in what I write here, because I have experienced only one of the three POV I have used.

As for the POVs themselves:  
Plain Text: Someone walking into church for the first time  
_Italics: A 'backsliding' Christian  
_**Bold: A true believer**

And, again, this is my interpretation. This is what I think it must look like from each POV. The only one of the three I can be sure is correct is the one of the person walking into a church for the first time - because that was me some number of months ago. So please do not attack me as if I am either a 'true' Christian or a 'backsliding' Christian. I will not complain (too much) if you attack me for being agnostic.

* * *

Congregation

* * *

I walk into a church –  
First time in my life! –  
And I see the smiles that speak –  
And I hear the voices that smile –  
"Welcome, thank you for coming." 

_I walk into a church -  
__Every single week of my life –  
And I see the hearts behind the smiles –  
I see how they all wish to be elsewhere –  
__"Welcome, thank you for coming."_

**I walk into a church –  
Every Sunday I can remember –  
****And I see the smiles of the ushers,  
****And I hear the joy of the people,  
"Welcome, thank you for coming."**

– – – – –

I stand amongst the congregation –  
First time in my life! –  
And I watch them shake each other's hands –  
And I blink in surprise when they reach for mine –  
"Glad to see you today."

_I stand amongst the congregation –  
Every single week of my life –  
__And I feel the apathy in the hands I shake –  
__And I see the eyes that give lie to the words –  
"Glad to see you today."_

**I stand amongst the congregation –  
Every Sunday I can remember –  
****And I reach for the hands of a lost-looking child,  
****And I smile from my heart as I say –  
"Glad to see you today."**

– – – – –

I sit in a pew –  
First time in my life! –  
And I am startled to see them all stand up  
And sing with all their hearts and souls –  
"Thou art a King among kings, my Lord!"

_I sit in a pew –  
Every single week of my life –  
__And I stand with the other secret sinners –  
__And I lift my voice to praise an unjust God –  
"Thou art a King among kings, my Lord!"_

**I sit in a pew –  
Every Sunday I can remember –  
****And I stand and dance with spontaneity –  
****And I lift my voice and heart to sing –  
"Thou art a King among kings, my Lord!"**

– – – – –

I reach for a bible –  
First time in my life! –  
And I watch others flip through theirs,  
And find the passage in a few moments –  
"Second Samuel, chapter six."

_I reach for a bible –  
Every single week of my life –  
__And since I know the bible outside in –  
__I know it all by rote – I find the passage quickly –  
"Second Samuel, chapter six."_

**I reach for a bible –  
Every Sunday I can remember –  
****And since I know the bible inside out –  
****I know it all for love of it – I find the passage quickly –  
"Second Samuel, chapter six."**

– – – – –

I'm inside a church –  
First time in my life! –  
And I gaze with wondering eyes  
At the pastor's enthusiastic antics –  
At the church-goers' rapture –  
At the beautiful hymnbooks –  
At the smiling choirboys –  
And I see in this  
A community of love –  
And I think in my heart –  
"If this is what it means to be a Christian,  
Then let me be a Christian."

_I'm inside a church –  
Every single week of my life –  
__And I gaze with jaded eyes  
At the pastor's useless antics –  
At the church-goers' high-and-mighty righteousness –  
At the hymnbook full of empty praise –  
At the choirboys who are here because their parents wish it –  
__And I see in this  
A community of obligation and lies –  
__And I think in my heart –  
"If this is what it means to be a Christian,  
Then let me be an atheist."_

**I'm inside a church –  
Every Sunday I can remember –  
****And I gaze with contented eyes  
At the pastor's joyful antics –  
At the church-goers' absorption –  
At the hymnbook of wondrous songs –  
At the choirboys who sing with joy –  
****I see in this  
My great and loving Family –  
****And I think in my heart –  
"This is what it means to be a Christian.  
This is who I am."**

* * *

A/N: So ... feedback, please? Did I portray these thoughts correctly? Did I write in a cohesive and understandable manner? Anything that I should add? 


End file.
